Old Sayings,Anecdotes,Related to Wildlife

[Cheryl]

Originally Posted by Geoff F

Here is an old song about the Cuckoo. It is written in the Dartmoor Dialect so I will try to retype it correctly.

The gugu es a purty bird.
Er zingeth as er vlieth;
Er bring'th gude tidins,
Er tell'th naw lies;
Er zucketh swate vlowers
Tu kaype er voice clear,
An' whan er zingeth gugu
The zummer draeth near.

Hope you can understand that.

I got the gist of it Geoff I have a different version of the second half though - not in Dartmoor Dialect I'm sorry to say - but it goes

She sucks little birds eggs
To make her voice clear
And never cries Cuckoo
Till spring time of the year

[posie]

Thats lurvly Geoff, yes I managed to translate it, we have what is called a 'cuckoo sale' a little way from here, I don't remember why it's called that. any ideas?:confused ..EDIT..Actually I think it is the 'Cuckoo Fair' and it might be at or near Landford out the New Forest way...Ian Beekeeper would know...

[Beekeeper]

I knew a elderly farmers wife who died recently aged just over 100.
One day i was having a cup of tea in her kitchen, she looked out of the windows and said " them crows are nesting up high this year, going to be a hot summer"

If i remember correctly she was wrong as it tipped down for weeks on end

ian

[Cheryl]

Originally Posted by posie

Thats lurvly Geoff, yes I managed to translate it, we have what is called a 'cuckoo sale' a little way from here, I don't remember why it's called that. any ideas?:confused ..EDIT..Actually I think it is the 'Cuckoo Fair' and it might be at or near Landford out the New Forest way...Ian Beekeeper would know...

I was going to say it is probably Cuckoo Fair but you edited your post juat as I was thinking of commenting [/i]

There are lot of stories linking cuckoos to rural fairs apparently - (I'm just reading them from my book ) and in many parts of the country there were Cuckoo Days - I could type it all out but it covers the best part of 4 pages +

[Cheryl]

Originally Posted by Beekeeper

One day i was having a cup of tea in her kitchen, she looked out of the windows and said " them crows are nesting up high this year, going to be a hot summer"

ian

That wasn't in Wales was it? Apparently in Wales an indication of strong winds is given by Ravens and crows flapping their wings and flying at great heights, while sunshine will follow if they are seen flying towards the sun

Right - I'm putting my book away

[tcvarlh]

Not 100% country based but they'll do :

Two women in one house, two cats and one mouse, two dogs and one bone, will never agree for long.

A woman, a dog, and a Walnut tree, The more you beat them the better they be

Don't spoil the ship for a h'aporth of tar (pron. Sheep)

Number two is pretty good, I've had a Walnut tree, a dog and one of those other things. The tree was the best part of the deal!

[posie]

Ian, do you know of the local 'Cuckoo Fair'?

[Bwrack]

How about this one liner from Benjamin Franklin, all round geezer:-
"Some are weather-wise, some are otherwise", don't know what he means but it sounds profound !

[loripo]

It does I must remember that one...
How about

The spring is sprung
the grass is riz I wonder where the birdies is?
They say the bird is on the wing,
But that's absurd,
because the wing is on the bird!

or Boid if you prefer

[richnfamous]

Originally Posted by loripo

Ne'er cast a clout, 'til may be out...

the month or the flower?

The flower. I spose you know what a 'clout' is?